Her smile, her laugh, the trust in her eyes, the soft murmur as she falls asleep, the way her fingers curl into my skin when she's nervous—it's all bouncing around my brain.
"Fuck. That is it." Ryan drops his pen. "You're into someone."
"Get real."
"Wish I could." Incredulity streaks his expression. "How the fuck did this happen?"
I offer him my best coy shrug.
"Dean. Don't fucking tell me—"
"Wasn't gonna tell you."
"Don't tell me it's Chloe."
"Wasn't gonna tell you," I repeat.
His brow furrows. "Fuck. Seriously?"
Am I really this easy to read? "Don't know what you're talking about."
Right on cue, the bell rings. Chloe's footsteps move toward the counter.
Ryan's gaze flits from her to me. Then back to her. "Are you fucking Dean?"
Her cheeks flush. She stops dead in her tracks. De
er in headlights.
Busted.
Ryan shakes his head. "Ask you to do one thing."
"It's not like that." The earnest tone of my voice burns my ears. This is fucking weird. "It's serious."
"You're serious?" Surprise creeps into his voice. He looks to Chloe for some help, but she's still deer in headlights.
Slowly, she nods. "It is."
"Shit, really?" Ryan runs a hand through his wavy hair. "You two ever planning on telling the rest of us?"
"Not really, no," I say.
"With all due respect, Ryan—and I have a lot of respect for you—I'm not sure how it's any of your business," Chloe says.
Ryan chuckles. "You've been working here how long?"
"Three weeks," she says.
"You really think anything stays secret here?" he asks.
She laughs. "No. But… Um… you're not going to try to fire me or something?"
"No." His brow screws. "But… Not sure it's cool for you to stay Dean's apprentice."
"We'll work it out. Draw strict lines. Compartmentalize. Promise." Vulnerability fills her eyes. She can't lose this job. She'll die if she loses this job.
Ryan shoots me a concerned look. "Can you do that?"